Peligan City Noir

Peligan City Noir

Sophie Green: Potkin and Stubbs (Piccadilly Press 2019)

Lil Potkin is determined to find the big story in the corrupt metropolis of Peligan City. However, the big story finds her instead: she is visited by Nedly, an 11-year-old boy who is seen only by Lil… Because Nedly is a ghost who says he was killed and asks Lil to help investigate who did it. Lil asks for help from the strayed former police officer, Abe Mandel, who had the case after the boy disappeared, but unfortunately found nothing at the time. Meanwhile in the city, a firebug is taking his victims, which the mayor is trying to cover up.

I haven’t read a noir style book yet, but I really liked Potkin and Stubbs. Not only its mood was special, but also the depiction of the characters: they all start with disadvantage, but despite their imperfections, they try to get the most out of their situation and save the depraved city… from itself. I also really loved that unlike most middle grade books, here an adult helps the children.

Sophie Green graduated in zoology and she has always been interested in folklore. Nowadays, she works in the Suffolk public library in addition to writing children’s books. She has already won numerous awards for her books and short stories. Potkin and Stubbs is her latest trilogy. The noir atmosphere of his book is perfected by the illustrations of Karl James Mountford, whom you may have read about on BogiWrites before (you can find the post here).

To learn more about the writer and her works, visit her website: http://www.sophiegreenwrites.com/.